Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

Xuan took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. He began, "I—"

Unable to utter a word, they were forced to face the onslaught.

The eight thousand flowers of the Rabbit have flowed.

Without any warning, without the spiritual pressure fluctuations of Shunpo, she simply lunged forward, but her speed was as fast as a ghost, her long black hair sweeping through the air like a crow searching for food.

Pure physical speed. So fast that it was difficult for ordinary vision to capture; in that instant, the stark white sunlight reflected from her Zanpakuto blinded Gen.

Xuan's pupils contracted sharply, an instinctive physiological reaction. Fortunately, Xuan was no small fry; facing a captain-level opponent, he dared not be careless in the slightest. His spiritual senses were constantly monitoring his opponent's every move, and he discovered Unohana Yachiru's attack.

Xuan immediately drew his sword and extended it forward, intending to use the rotation of the Tai Chi Cloud Sword to neutralize the force of the strike.

Unexpectedly, Unohana Yachiru showed no panic whatsoever. Her Zanpakuto, which had been attacking with rapid and direct force, became as soft and yielding as a snake. After making contact with Gen's Zanpakuto, she neutralized the Tai Chi energy transmitted from Gen's Zanpakuto. The next moment, she sprang forward like a snake, aiming straight for Gen's face.

Fortunately, Xuan had bought himself a brief moment and used [Binding Technique Thirty-Nine: Round Gate Fan] to defend himself.

Unohana Yachiru, who had remained expressionless until now, finally showed a change in her face. She raised an eyebrow and her sword pierced through [Binding Spell #39: Round Gate].

Genya took advantage of this gap to create more distance. He knew perfectly well that he was only a novice in swordsmanship and was no match for Unohana Yachiru, who was known as the "Kenpachi" (a legendary swordsman). Only by creating distance and taking advantage of her lack of knowledge about the Kido (a style of Japanese swordsmanship), could he have any chance of survival.

It's important to know that she calls herself the Eight Thousand Style because she fought countless sword masters, witnessing and learning eight thousand different styles of swordsmanship. She's also known as one of the greatest villains in Soul Society because she killed tens of thousands of people.

The reason Gen didn't immediately retreat using Shunpo was because that would inevitably expose his back to Unohana. His spiritual pressure was only at the vice-captain level, and the difference between him and Unohana was numerical; therefore, Gen's Shunpo might not be faster than Unohana's.

The flower of the rabbit did not give Xuan any time to catch his breath.

After her thrust missed, she used the momentum of the blade to spin and turn, switching her grip on the Zanpakuto from her right hand to her left. Her toes touched the ground, her body leaned forward, her center of gravity lowered, and she charged forward like a fully drawn bowstring. Then—

"laugh!"

Straight stab.

The blade tore through the air, aiming straight for Xuan's throat with a sharp whistling sound.

Xuan stepped back half a step with his right foot and turned his body to the side, leaving only a narrow strip of his left shoulder exposed to his opponent. This move, a sideways luring maneuver, was one he had used against Shihouin Aoji in the academy competition—luring the opponent in deep, waiting for them to become greedy and reckless, and then counterattacking.

But the flower of the rabbit is not Aoji.

In an instant, the long sword in her hand changed from a thrust to a parry, once again pressing close to Xuan's face.

Changing the offensive midway would normally result in a sharp drop in power and speed, but her attack speed was so fast that this sweeping slash was perfectly executed.

It was too late to dodge.

The Tai Chi Cloud Blade swept vertically towards its front.

The moment the blades clashed, the sharp, piercing sound of metal striking metal filled the air. A tremendous force traveled along the blades, making Xuanhu's mouth go numb. But he didn't take it head-on. Instead, he followed the momentum of the force, twisting his wrist so that the blade drew a gentle arc, deflecting the deadly slash to his side.

Unohana's knife tip grazed his left shoulder. His clothes were torn open, letting in a cold wind, but his skin remained intact.

At that moment, the opponent's Zanpakuto was swept to their side, leaving them wide open. In a life-or-death battle, this was the perfect opportunity to kill.

At this moment, Xuan no longer cared about the original characters or important figures from later generations. Xuan only knew one thing—to hold back now would mean certain death.

If Unohana were to use Bankai directly, she would be powerless to resist; however, she was used to learning other people's moves through fighting, so she did not release her Zanpakuto, giving Gen a sliver of hope.

Xuan's left hand forward strike: [Breaking Path Four - White Lightning]. This breaking path is extremely fast and has strong penetrating power. In terms of single-point burst damage, it is stronger than ordinary mid-level ghost path.

Unlike Byakuya Kuchiki, who was overconfident in his superior strength, this [White Lightning] was aimed directly at Unohana's head!

Is it over...? Is Sister Hua about to die at my hands? Xuan thought to himself.

Unohana raised her right hand, shielding her eyes. Who would have thought she was holding three small knives stacked on top of each other!

Bai Lei pierced through two of them, and the third knife was reduced to a thin layer, through which one could even vaguely see the corners of Unohana's mouth beginning to turn upwards.

Unohana didn't give Gen time to reflect. She twisted her left wrist, and her Zanpakuto slashed upwards from below Gen's right to the upper left, while at the same time she flicked her right finger and shot out the three small knives.

In a flash, Xuan pushed off the ground with both feet and used Instant Step to create distance. The blade barely grazed the tip of his nose, and the resulting airflow caused a slight stinging sensation on his face.

But just as Gen had predicted, almost simultaneously, Unohana used Shunpo to follow. If Gen hadn't sensed the rapidly approaching spiritual pressure, he wouldn't have even been able to determine which direction she was attacking from.

This time, instead of retreating, he took a step forward and rushed into within a foot of Unohana.

This distance is too long for the Zanpakuto to exert its full power. Gen is gambling that Unohana, in order to defend against the unknown power of the attack when she revealed an opening earlier, has already used up all the short weapons she has hidden.

The key to Wing Chun's close-quarters combat is to seize the center line and launch a quick, close-range attack. With his palm facing down, Xuan used the heel of his hand to support Mao Zhihua's left forearm, which was holding a knife, while his right fist aimed straight for the center of her chest.

Sun-shaped punch.

Unohana's reaction was incredibly fast.

The instant Xuan's hand touched her forearm, she realized she wouldn't have time to block the attack with her Zanpakuto. She loosened her left hand from the hilt, using the hem of her hand to block Xuan's punch, palm against fist, forcefully catching the powerful punch in her hand; at the same time, her right hand reached up, switching the Zanpakuto to her right hand.

Gen was completely unprepared for Unohana to block his straight punch in such a posture. But Gen was secretly pleased; he had clearly made the right bet. Unohana could only fight bare-handed, and Gen had clearly noticed Unohana's weakness—she was deeply immersed in swordsmanship, but relatively unskilled in close-quarters combat.

Xuan flicked his left hand, transforming his fist into a pointed finger, aiming the tip at Mao Zhihua's throat. This move, a feint of advance, forced her to lean back and dodge.

Unohana was forced to lean back, and Gen's fingertips grazed the skin of her neck, leaving a bloody mark. But Unohana reacted quickly, using the momentum of leaning back to the left to swing her sword diagonally with her right hand.

Xuan had already withdrawn his attack, raising his left elbow to block at his side. The moment his elbow struck the hilt of the Unohana sword, he used the recoil to retreat.

As both sides retreated, the distance between them instantly increased.

"Suppressing Heaven and Earth, Suppressing the Origin!"

As the release command fell, the metal arm guard formed by the Zanpakuto enveloped Gen's forearm, with dark purple patterns flowing across its surface, pulsating like blood vessels.

The moment the initial release was completed, Xuan Neng felt Zhen Yuan begin to passively absorb the spiritual particles in the air. Those free spiritual particles were continuously flowing into the arm guard, where they were compressed, purified, and accumulated.

Over the past few years, as time has passed, a sense of urgency has gradually weighed on his mind. Because Xuan has been in the stage of refining his spirit, the increase in spiritual pressure has been very small during this period. Therefore, in addition to his daily training, he has also added periodic Shikai training to enhance his mastery of his Shikai ability.

Gen doesn't believe his Zanpakuto is merely a direct-attack type Zanpakuto that amplifies spiritual power and alters physical form. Although the sword spirit won't teach him how to use Chingen, since Chingen can absorb external spiritual particles, it means Gen can manipulate spiritual particles within a certain limit through Chingen.

Although not very skilled, Xuan still managed to alter the concentration of spiritual particles in the surrounding area using Zhenyuan.

Under normal circumstances, spirits can move normally and act as usual within the concentration of spiritual particles in Soul Society. However, when Gen lowers the concentration of spiritual particles around himself, it is as if he has come from water into air, with significantly less resistance and faster movement; when the concentration of spiritual particles around Unohana is increased, not only is the resistance more obvious, but also the spiritual particles around her are more active due to the increased density.

While a higher concentration of spiritual particles is certainly a good thing during cultivation, the power of being struck by the Ghost Path will also increase in an environment with a higher and more active concentration of spiritual particles.

Of course, preparing for continued combat is the worst-case scenario; the best-case scenario is that Unohana, seeing that Gen's Shikai is not a direct attack type, will give up attacking.

However, even if they continue to fight, with the boost to his Kido from his Shikai, Gen should be able to barely reach the Captain level in Kido above number sixty, making him qualified to compete with Unohana.

...provided that Unohana does not release her Zanpakuto.

"Still far from it." Xuan thought to himself, his gaze fixed on Mao Zhihua. The oppressive feeling emanating from Mao Zhihua was far stronger than that from Qian Ri.

No, that's not right. When he sparred with himself, he always used a guiding mindset, never his full strength. But the Unohana Yachiru before him, although she hadn't unleashed her Zanpakuto, the killing intent emanating from her blade was undeniable. It was a swordsmanship forged from piles of corpses.

Seeing that Unohana did not attack again, but instead stood there touching the bloodstain on her neck, Xuan said, "I was just passing by and meant you no harm."

"I know."

This was the first time Unohana Yachiru had spoken during this battle.

Her tone was light, but her voice carried a hint of hoarseness beneath its coolness. Her eyes, which had been filled with deathly killing intent, were now tinged with a pure, almost famished excitement.

She took a step forward.

"That was amazing. Let me see what else you have up your sleeve."

Unohana sheathed her sword and used her shihaka robes and arms to shield herself. With her vision and senses obstructed, Gen could hardly predict the angle from which Unohana would strike.

Fortunately, Xuan doesn't require any strategic maneuvering.

A single [Binding Technique No. 73 - Mountain-Reversing Crystal] shot up from the ground, successfully blocking the incoming blade, allowing Xuan to briefly create distance once again.

However, the [Binding Spell No. 73 - Mountain-Reversing Crystal] also shattered quickly.

However, it didn't matter. This strike was ultimately blocked, and he was powerless to continue. The lightness brought about by the sudden drop in spiritual particle concentration made his Instant Step even faster than usual.

Gen decided to create distance again and use a large amount of Kido to continue suppressing her. He would then take advantage of the gaps in Unohana's suppression to look for an opportunity to create distance, conceal his figure and spiritual pressure, and leave this place.

Spiritual energy gathers in Zhenyuan—

【Hado #4: White Lightning】

Abandoning the incantation, Yang lightning burst forth from his fingertips. This time it wasn't Yin lightning, but rather Yang lightning released by leveraging the Zhenyuan's ability to compress spiritual energy—the dark purple patterns on his arm guards suddenly lit up, and the spiritual energy, after being compressed by the Zhenyuan, became even more condensed.

The lightning tore through the air, accompanied by the booming sound of thunder, heading straight for Unohana's face, incidentally drawing her attention.

【Hado #57: The Earth Turns】

The ground suddenly churned. Pebbles erupted from beneath Unohana's feet, blocking her path. But Unohana remained expressionless, nimbly leaping through the air on the stones, easily splitting the unavoidable rocks in two, once again closing the distance between her and Gen.

Taking advantage of this opening, Xuan spread his five fingers on his left hand, and dim yellow lightning condensed at his fingertips.

【Hado #11: Lightning Bolt】

At the same time, he drew an arc in the air with his right hand, and spiritual power transformed into a blazing ribbon that spread from his fingertips.

【Hado #12: Hidden Fire】

Fire-attribute spiritual energy wove into countless blazing threads, rapidly expanding in the air. Lightning traveled along the veins of the threads to every point, and fire and lightning intertwined to form a dense net that attacked Unohana.

Unohana was too cautious to use her Zanpakuto to slash at the composite Kido. Instead, she kicked a Shinigami corpse on the ground into the electric net and then continued to close the distance with Gen.

It's a pity about the Dark Path. After all, the most outstanding feature of the [Thunderbolt] Ghost Path is its conduction and paralysis, but its disadvantage is also obvious - it requires a medium for conduction. Unohana used an external object to knock off the medium it was attached to.

Unohana's figure had already closed in on Gen, her Zanpakuto slashing diagonally from the lower right to the upper left, her Zanpakuto style changing to a more expansive and powerful style.

Xuan made a sweeping motion with his left hand in front of him, and the light barrier formed by the Eighth Binding Path - Repulsion appeared on the back of his right hand.

"Bang!"

The blade struck the spiritual energy barrier, but did not bounce off as expected. Unohana's sword paused slightly, then her momentum shifted, the blade sliding along the surface of the spiritual energy barrier, drawing an arc in the air, and slashing towards Xuan's neck.

The instant she struck the barrier, she changed her attack. It wasn't a conventional slashing technique, but rather the skill and experience she had honed through countless battles. This demonstrated the difference in combat experience—she had sensed the barrier's presence through the tactile sensation of the blade's tip just before it touched the barrier, and changed her attack trajectory in the same instant.

Alarm bells rang in Xuan's head. He bent back, the blade grazing his forehead. A few strands of black hair were severed and scattered in the air. Xuan then performed a backflip and landed again, using his flying shihaka robes as cover as he flew towards Unohana with [Hado #54: Wasted Flame].

Unohana leaped lightly, seemingly determined to avoid further contact with the Kido techniques employed by Gen. With her sword tip pointing downwards, she flipped in mid-air, her Zanpakuto drawing a crescent-shaped arc before slashing down from above.

Xuan rolled to his feet, narrowly avoiding the blade. The blade struck the gravel ground, sending up a spray of debris.

After several more rounds of fighting, Xuan discovered that Mao Zhihua was deliberately avoiding the Ghost Path, so he kept bombarding her with low-level Ghost Path techniques, and for a time the fight was evenly matched.

Xuan used Zhenyuan to reduce the concentration of spiritual particles throughout his body, making him light and agile. He used the Binding Dao for defense, and while dodging attacks, he was able to release a series of low-level Ghost Dao to interrupt Unohana's offensive rhythm. Unohana's attacks were like a storm, which consumed a lot of energy. While dodging, Xuan believed that he had Zhenyuan's passive ability to absorb spiritual particles, so he was no worse than anyone else in a war of attrition.

Unohana's Shikai, Minazuki, is a biological Zanpakuto. Using Shikai essentially renders her swordsmanship useless. Therefore, the best strategy is to stall until the opponent's Bankai is available, allowing her to use Shunpo to escape, or wait until Unohana's condition deteriorates and her speed decreases again.

Gen was calculating this until he sensed the spiritual pressure of the flower.

Almost nothing has changed.

Her spiritual pressure remained as stable as a rock, indicating that her stamina was still plentiful and that she could continue to maintain a high level of combat without any problem.

In contrast, Xuan, facing a master of swordsmanship with captain-level strength, had to concentrate intensely, ensuring that every movement was flawed or flawed. At the same time, he had to suppress the increasingly intense pain when using Zhenyuan. Even with Zhenyuan absorbing spiritual particles, continuously releasing ghost techniques was still a significant burden.

A sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.